Amidst
by Darklight Blue
Summary: "...There is. The power that is yet to be found… the Clow Cards, they are only among us. Give me eternal rest and I will tell you more."
1. Chapter 1

_Darkness. _

_Chillingly cold and lonely. __Feeling the cold creeping into her insides, Sakura grasped her arms and desperately tried to warm herself._

_"Hello?" she called out, shivering._

_Thousands of 'hello's echoes before her, surprising her and making her fall out of balance. As she tried to stabilize her position, a small flicker of light appeared, floating above her. It wasn't enough to warm her, but it did stave off the loneliness. As she reached up to touch it, another flicker of light appeared in front of her. And another. They all stood before her and she understood what they meant._

_She followed them until she encountered a door. It was huge, cold and made of brass. Ancient runes and symbols that she didn't understand were engraved across it. Taking hold of the brass door handle, she opened the door._

_Pandemonium reigned in a place filled with people fighting, escaping, or dying. It was horrible, she thought. Then, a loud bang made her turn around. A bald man with pale skin and red eyes was staring at her and fear filled her insides._

_The eyes of the man narrowed maliciously as he raised his wand. "Give me the cards, girl."_

_"No!" she said as she took a step back. Some part of the man made her felt terrifying and she clutched her pendant on her chest._

_"Then you leave me no choice," said the man. "Goodbye, Mistress of the Cards." He pointed his wand at her._

_"Avada Kedavra."_

* * *

Cerberus, or Kero, as lovingly called by Sakura, hovered over the sleeping girl. Her face was scrunched, twisted in a painful way, and she murmured helplessly, turning left or right like she was having a nightmare. Not knowing what to do, Kero called her name repeatedly.

"Sakura. Sakura!"

Sakura Kinomoto woke up to the desperate calling of her guardian, Kero. Kero was in his plush form, and his beady eyes were looking at her worriedly.

"What happened, Sakura?" he asked urgently. "You were thrashing around, saying 'No'."

Sakura looked at the window beside her bed. It was morning, and everything looked peaceful as it is. "I… I had a bad dream."

"Uh-oh," Kero then said, crossing his arms. "Bad dreams are usually a bad omen." Sakura agreed.

"A man with red eyes wanted my Cards, Kero," explained Sakura as Kero's eyes widened. "And when I refused, he said something I didn't understand, like 'Abracadabra', and then I woke up."

Kero thought hard for a while. Now that Sakura has captured and transformed all of the cards, her powers had been greatly increased. With constant training and meditation, more and more prophetic dreams came to Sakura. Slowly, he then said. "I don't know much about those, but I'll talk to Eriol later.

"Un!" Sakura nodded and got off the bed. Yawning, she began walking downstairs. In the kitchen, he saw her brother, her father, and a familiar lad with pale skin and white hair.

"Yukito-san!" she exclaimed, running to hug the white-haired lad. "You're here! Are you and Onii-chan going out again?"

Yukito nodded, his smile brightening and lifting Sakura's spirits. "We are going to the public library."

"Where for?" Sakura inquired as she sat down. This time Touya, her older brother, answered the question.

"Thesis, dummy. Yuki's having trouble with his thesis. Oh, and a late morning," he added with a smirk, "ka-i-ju."

"I'm not a kaiju," retorted Sakura frostily as she stepped on Touya's foot, a habit she never forgot to do as she grew. Touya responded with a pained cry and a small scowl.

"Good morning, Otou-sama," she then greeted her father with a warm smile.

Her father came in with a plate full of pancakes. "Good morning, Sakura," he said, sitting down and distributing the pancakes on the four plates on the table. "Aren't you going out with Tomoyo? Or is the schedule canceled for today?"

"Tomoyo-chan…?" Sakura mused, closing her eyes as she took a bite.

Touya sighed. "Don't tell me she forgot."

The realization came over her and she panicked. "Hoeeeeee! I forgot!"

"She did forget," Touya sighed again. "The kaiju is on a rampage again." He watched Sakura gulp down the rest of her pancakes and orange juice. Then she stood up, bowed to Yukito, and ran up the stairs to change.

* * *

Sakura found Tomoyo by the Penguin's Park, sitting on one of the swings. She hurried over and said, "Hello Tomoyo-chan! I'm sorry for being late!"

Tomoyo was wearing a light blue dress and white doll shoes, with her long hair tied in a low ponytail secured with a dark blue ribbon. Humming softly, she saw Sakura and smiled.

Tomoyo waved off the apology. "Oh, it's fine." She took out her video camera and filmed Sakura. "At least I can see my dear Sakura-chan again! Now, shall we go?" She stood up and smiled at Sakura.

Sakura grinned and held the other girl's hand.

As they walked to the amusement park, memories came over Sakura as she remembered how she had captured 'The Nothing' and turned it to 'The Hope', where it fused with her first created card, and how she had confessed to Syaoran about her love, and Syaoran, oh how sweet the memory was of him accepting it.

_"We'll exchange letters," Syaoran said, smiling gently. He held Sakura's hands secretly, as the public display of affection was frowned upon. "I'll keep in touch as frequent as I can."_

_They were at the airport. Syaoran was to go back to China as soon as he helped Sakura turn the last card into her own. His flight was coming, and he spent the last few hours spending time with Sakura (with Tomoyo filming them)._

_"But when will you come back?" Sakura couldn't help but ask._

_"... We'll see."_

That year, she received a lot of letters from him, but as another year passes, his letters seem to frequent less, until she turned 14. From that day on, she never heard of him. Numerous times she tried to contact him yet all had successfully failed.

She was devastated. Only her family and her closest friends could make her come back, yet she wasn't the same as she was years ago. Only one question kept her trudging through life.

When will Syaoran come back?

"Sakura?" she broke out of her thoughts as she turned to Tomoyo. "Are you alright?" the raven-haired girl asked.

"I'm fine," Sakura said, smiling and patting her cheeks to prove her status. "Oh look!" she exclaimed. "Let's go to the Ferris Wheel again!" And she ran off to the direction of the Ferris Wheel.

Tomoyo sighed softly at the sight of Sakura. "Li-kun… I wish you were here to cheer dear Sakura-chan up." She then followed Sakura, who was waving and smiling sweetly and took her camera with her.

* * *

Sakura had fun that day. They had met up with Chiharu and Yamazaki, who was finally going out on a date and found Naoko and Rika in a nearby cafe. The group spent their time riding the carousel, the Ferris wheel, and playing in the shooting booth where Yamazaki won a big panda for Chiharu. That resulted in a lot of blushing and finally a kiss, which Tomoyo filmed happily.

They played some more, and later went their separate ways, wishing everyone luck, and may Chiharu and Yamazaki make them their bridesmaids.

"Ah," Tomoyo sighed happily that afternoon. They were resting on a bench near the Ferris Wheel. "I must have used all of my rolls." Happily patting her video camera as it was her beloved pet, she turned to Sakura. "It was fun, wasn't it, Sakura? ... Sakura?"

Sakura was looking up, staring at the sky. Thinking Sakura never heard the question, Tomoyo followed Sakura's gaze. Two owls were flying straight towards them. "Hoe?" Sakura wondered. "Owls?"

"That's a strange occurrence," the raven-haired girl agreed. The two owls, a white Barn owl, and a brown Tawny owl flapped down in front of them. They lifted their leg, where a letter was tied on each of their legs and stood proudly.

"Oh!" Sakura breathed as she went to an owl and untied the letter. Tomoyo did the same, and sitting down, they examined the letters.

Each of the cream-colored letters had a wine red wax seal containing a crest of arms, and the girls opened them. The letters were made of parchment, with excellent handwriting and vocabulary.

"It's in English," observed Sakura with a disappointed tone as she scanned through the letter. "Oh, I'm bad at them." She looked at Tomoyo helplessly.

"I'll read it," volunteered Tomoyo. She took Sakura's letter and read.

_"Miss S. Kinomoto,_

_Sitting on the bench beside the Ferris Wheel_

_Amazaki Amusement Park, Japan."_

"It's terribly accurate," said Sakura in awe.

Tomoyo smiled teasingly. "Ooh, Sakura-chan's got a stalker!"

Sakura flushed. "Yours have the same seal; it might be the same," muttered Sakura. "Go on, Tomoyo-chan, I can't wait to see what it says." The raven-haired girl nodded and continued reading.

_"Dear Miss Kinomoto,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find the enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress."_

"Hogwarts?" Sakura wondered aloud. "Witchcraft and Wizardry…?" She paused and gasped. "Hoe! That means you've got magic, Tomoyo-chan!"

"I can be with Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo hugged the auburn-haired girl. "But, what do we do with these owls?"

The owls were still standing proudly. Sakura got an idea.

"We could take this back home," she suggested. "Then we could reply when we get the approval." Tomoyo seemed to accept the idea.

They both stood up to take the owls when a small letter fell out of the envelope Tomoyo was holding. She took it and flipped open the letter.

"The same address," she observed, eyes scanning the letter. "Dear Miss Kinomoto and Miss - Oh!" she gasped as the letters began to change and morph into characters that translated into their native language. "Sakura, look - you can read it too."

Sakura put her owl down and shuffled beside Tomoyo to read.

_"Dear Miss Kinomoto and Miss Daidouji,_

_I ask for your forgiveness for suddenly sending this to you._

_The school has acknowledged your abilities and would like to have you study here. It wasn't easy to bend the rules and Mahoutoukoro, another school, who also wanted to have you study there. This is your chance to finally see the world outside your world, outside Asia. I know that you haven't had a western education before._

_Also, if ever the time comes that you choose to go, I would like to ask you to not use your powers, for Miss Kinomoto, for it may attract more unsuspected troubles. I would like to ask you also to aid in our protection of one of my students. His name is Harry Potter, an incoming sixth year at Hogwarts. He has been targeted by a wizard, a Dark Lord, ever since he was born._

_If the time comes that the wizard has arrived to put Harry's life in danger, please do not hesitate to help Harry._

_All of these are choices, and whatever choice you choose to make, I shall not blame anyone for the result._

_Yours Sincerely, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."_

Sakura and Tomoyo looked at each other upon finishing the letter. This was a great opportunity, but the second letter hinted that their lives may be at risk too. The headmaster, although formal in tone, seemed to beg them to protect a boy, in exchange for studying, and they were unsure of what to say.

"Do you think... we should accept?" Tomoyo asked.

"Let's ask for their approval," said Sakura, "and we should getting home; it's late."

Tomoyo nodded, and gathering the owls and their things, the two girls went back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Professor Albus Dumbledore had called for a meeting that night. Rain fell gently on the windows and it was cold. Members of the Order of the Phoenix shuffled one by one inside the grey old house, greeting Harry and the other teenagers, and walking into the kitchen where the meeting was decided. Harry saw some of his professors, including to his dismay, Snape.

"It's not fair!" cried Ron Weasley as the last member, Remus Lupin, stepped inside and sealed the door in their meeting room with an anti-scrying spell. He sat down on one of the stairs and looked at Harry and Hermione, who were both looking disappointed as well. "We're nearly old enough to be in there!"

"Just one year left," Harry said. Hermione frowned at the raven-haired boy.

"Don't encourage him, you," she scolded. "Professor Dumbledore must have his reasons why." She sat beside Ron and put her head on her hands. "I wish he would tell us though, but we are still young…"

"Young? We're sixteen years old, for Merlin's sake!" Ron exclaimed, wringing his hands. "Even Harry should've heard this prophecy earlier, not after Sirius died!"

Hermione gasped, and Ron quickly realized his mistake, as Harry guiltily turned his head away. "Harry, bud, I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to."

Harry nodded quietly. An awkward silence came over them until Hermione spoke up.

"But anyway, Professor Dumbledore will tell us in time…" she mumbled.

"You're obviously forgetting about us, Hermione," two familiar voices said in chorus. The trio looked up to see Fred and George dangling three long strips of flesh-like strings temptingly from their hands.

"Extendable Ears, anyone?" Fred grinned as the surprised faces of Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned into awe.

* * *

"... and so, He is getting restless," Severus Snape was saying. "He doesn't see me as his loyal servant, and thus, I don't know most of his plans, save for one."

Murmurs arose from the members as he sat down. "Pray tell us, Severus," Dumbledore said once the murmurs have died down. Snape stood up again and closed his eyes.

"He plans to launch a full-out attack on the southern and western part of Britain, probably also in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade."

Murmurs rose again as Lupin stood up. "This is outrageous!" He cried in outrage. "Not only does he try to kidnap and attack Harry, but also plans to invade those places?!"

The others nodded at his response.

"When will this happen?" Dumbledore, still keeping his composure, inquired. Snape shook his head and looked down.

"It is uncertain," he admitted. "The information is only allowed to the closest followers of the Dark Lord. It will be given on the day of the attack."

"You may now seat, Severus," the old professor said. After Snape had sat down and the murmurs have calmed down, he began to speak.

"This will be investigated later. But for now, let me introduce someone.

One wishes to join the Order. After overcoming several challenges and rituals, he has proved his loyalty to us. From now on, as I have decreed, the Order of the Phoenix shall recognize this man as a member, a kin, and a family.

Please welcome Eriol Hiiragizawa."

A young spectacled lad with dark blue - almost black - hair and striking eyes rose from a corner of the room and smiled, his eyes twinkling mysteriously. He wore a white collared shirt with a grey sweater and black pants.

"Hello everyone. I am Eriol Hiiragizawa, and I am pleased to meet you all," he greeted formally in straight English, bowing low.

Everyone stared at him. Oh great, a miniature Albus.

Dumbledore chuckled at the expressions shown on the faces of the members of the Order. "Yes, and because of this and his vast knowledge, I am happy to announce that Eriol Hiiragizawa will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

The impact of having a younger member was not very hard for the Order to take, but the impact of the idea about a professor who was almost like a student was truly disturbing for them.

"Albus! The child is bare of age!" McGonagall cried. "Look at him, he is a sixth-year!"

"Be serious!" the others chimed.

"I agree," Moody seconded. "Even if this is as spontaneous as the fact that you'll be having transfer students in your school!"

Dumbledore just smiled. "Calm down, Moody, Minerva, all of you. Do not judge the book by its cover. Instead, look at the brighter side. Having transfer students and a new professor isn't bad."

* * *

"A new teacher!"

"Shh!"

"Students too?!"

"I said _shh!_"

"Can't you two shut up?!" Harry whispered hotly.

The trio was on the second floor, their ears on the Extendable Ears. They were listening on the conversation of the Order through a crack on the floor, which, fortunately, was the one directly above the kitchen where they were having the meeting. The Weasley twins were on a lookout for any person crossing the boundaries from the first floor and the second floor, including Ginny, who had the excuse to come to her room, and their mother.

Hermione took out her Ear, cleaned them with her handkerchief, and gave them to Ron, who shabbily put them in his pocket. "But I don't see why Professor Dumbledore allowed transferees," she whispered.

"Maybe it's part of a new policy," Ron suggested. "Or an exchange program."

"If it is, then it should have been stated in Hogwarts: A History!" Hermione countered. "As far as I know, Hogwarts has a special way of selecting students and it has never been changed for centuries."

"Hermione, this is the modern age!" Ron exclaimed. "I don't really know what you are thinking about right now, but everything's possible."

Harry, who was silent the whole time, spoke up. "Don't you think it's strange, accepting transferees this late?"

Hermione turned to Harry and nodded. "My words exactly," she agreed. "Surely it's too dangerous to accept, now that You-Know-Who's back to power."

"Bet me a Galleon it's me he'll be targeting again," he replied dryly. Ron and Hermione chuckled at the slight tone of humor at his statement but the chuckle was shortlived. It was always like that, but inside their heads, they didn't want to meet Voldemort again. Someone with only two slits for a nose and grey skin was already something they didn't want to meet, but fate continuously made them collide with each other.

"Let's go back," Ron suggested and inserted his Ear again on the crack. A moment later, he removed himself from the flesh-like string and whispered, "I don't hear anything."

At the same time, a loud shriek made them all jump.

"FRED! GEORGE! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU DOING WITH THOSE STRINGS?!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, quickly withdrew their Extendable Ears, and fled from the scene.

* * *

Eriol Hiiragizawa silently watched as the members of Order argued and fussed around him. His smile was plastered on his face. Although he was getting irritated by the waste of time they did, he didn't show it. Make a good lasting impression, he drilled, again and again, remembering Ruby Moon's words.

How did he come into this mess? It was not this messy when he first met Dumbledore a year ago. Months after the turning of "the Nothing" into "the Hope", he first caught sight of the wizarding world when he saw two Aurors trying to erase the memory of citizens affected by an attack of Death Eaters in a town near his mansion. He almost lost his memory when he was caught by the two Aurors, but he overcame them and instead sealed their memory from meeting him and left.

Ruby Moon fussed over him when he came home late, and he brought the news of the wizards. It was a surprise that wizards still existed, Ruby Moon exclaimed. Spinel Sun just kept silent, yet his stare meant that they had stepped on something they shouldn't - or haven't - and that soon, they may be entangled in its world.

Eriol knew this, and also knew of the consequences that may bring if he chose not to interfere (like Sakura and the others being more thoroughly affected if they get tangled too), and thus began to research about the wizarding world. He spent his time leisurely looking into the lifestyles of the wizards, the history, and now, the issues.

He discovered Voldemort.

A terrorist, Spinel remarked. A Dark Lord who wished to purge the world of muggles and half-bloods and have the pure-blooded wizards rule the world. He was considered one of the most powerful wizards, with a long range of spells, and a favored army, but only one was his favorite spell: the Killing Curse.

The reincarnation pondered over this. Must this be the reason why he was pulled into the world? The power of Voldemort couldn't compare to his own sorcery. In terms of power, Eriol was superior to Voldemort, but Eriol has no knowledge of the wizarding world, and thus would have a great disadvantage.

There he met Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was an interesting thing, being the only one to directly oppose the 'Dark Lord' and be a more powerful opponent, Eriol thought, and soon enough, he paid the old professor a visit.

He, with Spinel Sun, teleported into Diagon Alley that day. Murmuring a spell to blend in with the environment, he walked into the nearest shop, which was a sweets shop. To their fortune, Dumbledore was there, and Eriol quickly sought a way to talk to him.

He successfully secured a talk with the professor, and once they were in a private room, Dumbledore spoke up, breaking the tension.

"You terribly look like a sorcerer I know."

"Would you mind telling me who was him?" Eriol asked, smiling his smile that he put on whenever he was nervous.

"He was named Clow Reed."

Eriol clenched his teeth to keep himself from gasping, still trying to smile. Lightly coughing to hide his surprise, he asked. "Who was Clow Reed? How did you meet him?"

Dumbledore smiled, a smile similar to Eriol's, and talked about Clow Reed that made Eriol slightly uncomfortable. The reincarnation squirmed uncomfortably inside as the professor spoke of Clow Reed's achievements, although he hid it behind a practiced smile.

"Hm," Eriol pretended to muse. "You are quite knowledgeable about the subject, are you not?"

"And are you not of this world, are you?" the professor said in a low voice. Eriol said nothing, but his smile became fixed. "Yet you are able to enter this town. What are you?"

Something in this wizard made Eriol uncomfortable (and want to curse him to hell for trying to make him feel that way), but also made him feel that this was a trustworthy one. Eriol glanced at the small navy backpack which held Spinel Sun inside and breathed.

He finally decided to talk.

"... Prove to me that you are worthy and I will reveal my identity."

As the months came, they were familiarized with each other, enough for Eriol to reveal his status as someone who also knew Clow Reed, and to know about the wizarding world. With his wits and persuasion, Dumbledore then took the opportunity to invite him to the Order of the Phoenix, and with Ruby Moon's encouraging words and Spinel Sun's warnings, Eriol finally joined in.

Smiling his signature smile, he looked around and still saw the Members arguing, Dumbledore's order unheeded. He glanced at the old professor, who was silent yet looking for something to calm them down. Eriol listened to the fuss about himself and with a quiet sigh of exasperation soon decided to end it.

'I guess it is up to me,' Eriol thought and cleared his throat.

"Please calm down," he started.

Coughing slightly, he addressed the members of the Orders. "Fellow members, we are gathered here to talk about important issues. Can the news of me being 'young' be pushed back and let us focus on the more pressing matters?"

"The more pressing matter would be 'you'," one of the members spat. But Dumbledore shot him a disappointed look and the member immediately shut up.

The old wizard said, "Please continue, Mister Hiiragizawa."

* * *

**A.N. - Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter. I was kind of surprised that there were people reading it, as I once started it with the intention of personal reading in mind. I apologize if the chapter was cut, as I haven't thought of what would happen yet. Please do not expect me to always update, as this is just leisure for me. I do not own the characters and the world, and the plot is referenced.**


	3. Chapter 3

"The Dark Lord may be truly planning to invade Britain," Eriol admitted with a nod. "Yet there is something clearly suspicious." He glanced around the room. "From what I have known and seen, he is working with a more direct motive in mind than attacking our Harry Potter.

You see," he continued, "All these years, his main motive was killing Potter, but Potter always escapes in the nick of time, as Dumbledore kindly told me. But this time, we do not hear of his plans. Something … turned him into doing worse things."

"Causing the first Wizarding War was already a bad thing," Lupin shook his head sadly. Eriol silently agreed with him.

"And as such, we must take preventive measures against these. It is possible that he might actually wage war again," Eriol closed his eyes. "We need to put a protective barrier around Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. We need to gather forces enough to fight him back.

We must investigate. We must protect the world. We must unite against him and his forces."

"And what will you do, Hiiragizawa?" sneered Snape. "Can a new member as you do anything?"

Eriol opened his eyes, whose feigned serenity was now looking down at the Potions Professor.

"I can do anything. I will do as I see fit," he merely replied, his smile still pasted on his face. '_Just so this may never reach Sakura.'_

The tension in the room gradually increased with the silence, and Eriol could feel that the Order would have to struggle first before knowing him.

"Snape, I will ask this of you," Dumbledore now stated, breaking the silence. "Do anything in your ability to know when this will happen. We cannot allow information like that to go missing. Minerva, Lupin, Tonks, we will have to do as Eriol says. And Eriol," he looked at the lad directly through his spectacles, "I will put my trust in you."

"The meeting is now adjourned. Questions will be entertained after supper," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Let us now rest our heads for tonight."

The room turned noisy as all rose up from their seats, some beginning to chat with each other. Eriol sighed quietly and sat down on one of the seats. A woman with bright pink hair who chatted with the others as soon as the meeting was adjourned looked at him, her eyes wide with curiosity.

'It would have been a lot easier if they were as amiable as Dumbledore,' Eriol thought as he glanced at the woman and shot her a small smile. 'All for my half-daughter.'

To his wonder, the woman made the first approach. Walking over to him, the woman boldly held out her hand in front of Eriol. "Hi! I'm Tonks! Nice to meet you!"

Eriol was first stunned. He didn't completely expect to have a witch be friendly with him. In reply, Eriol shook the woman's hand numbly.

"Well, since Dumbledore trusts you, I think we need to put our trust and work with each other," Tonks continued, shrugging. "It's a surprise seeing you become a teacher at Hogwarts. How you two even met is a wonder!"

"I…" Eriol started to speak but was interrupted by a loud screech.

"FRED! GEORGE! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU DOING WITH THOSE STRINGS?!"

A red-haired woman was at the front of the door, looking visibly enraged at two red-haired teenagers who were trying to sneak out but were caught up in the act. A red-haired man, presumably her spouse, was immediately beside her, trying his best to be stern. Eriol watched, amused, as the mother started scolding the boys.

One of the boys looked guilty, and they began to speak. "But mum, we really need-"

"If your excuse is about not being in the Order, then my answer is no!" the woman scolded them. "You are not yet eligible enough! Come on, empty your pockets!"

Eriol watched as the two boys then pulled out another 'string', which had an ear attached to it. Wizards must be really that crafty, he noted mentally, especially the two boys. Once their pockets were deemed fully empty by the woman, they were sent straight to bed "without supper".

"That's Molly Weasley and her sons," Tonks soon interjected. "Genius minds honestly, but they just cause conflict on Molly."

The lad kept silent in his musing as he watched the two boys slink upstairs.

* * *

"Outo-san!" Sakura called for her father as soon as she got home, clutching the letter on one hand, and balancing the bag and the owl on her shoulders. "I'm home!" She took off her shoes and headed to the living room where she heard typing.

Her father looked up from his laptop. "Hello dear," he greeted her, noticing the owl who perched on her shoulders. "How's your day?"

"I got a letter from a magic school!" Sakura replied, waving her letter as she immediately put down the bag. Her owl hooted grumpily and flew to a more stable spot, which was the windowsill. Her father's eyes followed the owl, then returned to Sakura.

"I presume that is the reason why you brought home a wild owl?" Being a professor, he knew that owls were nocturnal and that it was incredibly rare to see one at daytime, and even rarer to bring it home without any sign of injuries of the owl. He was worried about Sakura's wellbeing.

Sakura trailed a finger through her cheek. "Hoe…"

Fujitaka smiled. "Will you care to enlighten me, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded and sat down. She started with their usual get-together with Tomoyo, then the arrival of the owls and the letters, and their parting ways. Her father nodded every few moments, taking in what Sakura said. Sakura, as she spoke, showed the letter of acceptance and the letter of needed supplies. When she finished telling the story, Fujitaka seemed to be in thought.

"So," he started. "This magic school has picked you to be one of its students… even with a complete set of books and supplies included… even a wand..." He seemed to be down with thought, and Sakura bit her lip, gripping the small letter in her hand behind her back.

"What do you think, outo-san?" She asked, uncertain. "May I go? It seems so wonderful, going to a magic school."

Her father finally looked at her, and Sakura sighed in relief.

"Why not?" Her father smiled. "It is a chance to learn magic and make more opportunities."

"I sure do hope there's no math in there!" Sakura chuckled, relieved that her father had taken the issue positively. Now there's only Kero left to worry. "Thank you, outo-san!" She hugged her father and ran upstairs to her room, leaving Fujitaka.

Her father then glanced at a picture frame of a smiling woman, his features furrowing.

"Kero!"

Sakura called for her guardian as she closed the door behind her. There was no response, except for some clicking of buttons down on her bed. She called again, now a little bit louder, but still there was no response. Kero was unbelievably quiet today.

The yellow Clow guardian looked incredibly focused on a video game. Sakura breathed out as she sat down on her bed.

"I got treats!"

"_Where?!_"

Sakura giggled. Aside from entertainment, one other thing that can override Kerobero's attention was food. The small guardian looked frantically from one side to another. Reality hit him too soon when he realized Sakura held nothing in her hands.

"Sakura! I was in the middle of defeating the boss!" Kero whined, holding the controller. Sakura sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm really sorry Kero, but I have to talk to you about something!" Sakura showed the letter to Keroberos, who reluctantly read it. His beady eyes kept moving from one place to another quickly, and soon he looked up at his master.

"Hogwarts, is it?" He inquired, narrowing his eyes. "Have I heard about it?"

Sakura shrugged. "But it seems to be fun! Outo-san has already approved of it."

"It is rather unusual," Kero commented. "It would be hard for a father to be separated from his child. And Hogwarts… quite an unusual school to have a name about a pig's illness!"

"Kero!"

"Sorry, Sakura," Kero apologized, trying to hold his laughter. He cleared his throat twice. "Well, if your father did approve of it, then I can't say I don't. Just take me along and bring me sweets!"

"Un!"

Sakura, having gotten the approval of both her father and Cereberus, soon wrote a reply on a piece of paper and attached it to the owl's outstretched leg after feeding it. The owl hooted, ruffled its wings, and soon flew away as Sakura opened the window.

After contacting Tomoyo, who had also gotten permission from her mother, Sakura read the Hogwarts letter again and wondered who was Harry Potter.

* * *

**Author's Note: Welcome back! I have had the chance to finally continue this as the quarantine goes on. I have actually finished this a few weeks ago, but I forgot to upload it. Please excuse the story's pace and the plot, as I am in the process of exploring the plot. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay safe!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Fred! George!" Ron whispered out from his bedroom, peeking out of the door as the twins dejectedly passed by his room. "Are you two alright?"

The trio turned tail earlier as soon as Fred and George were caught, and they were waiting eagerly for news of the twins. Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew the wrath of Mrs. Weasley and as such, they felt guilty when the twins were caught. Heavy, downtrodden footsteps stopped as the twins took notice of Ron.

George turned to face his younger brother. "Aside from getting our last stocks confiscated and having no dinner, we're alright," he replied gloomily. "And I heard Mum's having chicken and steak with salad."

"But we got a glimpse of the new professor!" Fred chimed in and George immediately brightened up.

"What does he look like?" Hermione pitched in as she went out from Ginny's shared bedroom. Harry popped out from Ron's back too, apparently interested in the conversation.

"Well he had dark hair…"

"...and glasses…"

"He was smaller than the other members…"

"...And he looked young! Even younger than us - Ginny would be so envious!"

"I'd like to know his skincare then," Hermione muttered. "I wonder why Professor Dumbledore would really hire someone so… youthful. Maybe he is a magical genius?"

Ron shrugged. "Who knows. We'll meet him soon at supper."

George nodded solemnly. "Do the honors for us tomorrow, will you? We can't obviously meet or see him right now, with Mum banning us from the room tonight."

"Well that leaves more time and peace for us to continue our ideas," Fred suggested.

"Well, you are right there, my dear brother," George waved a goodnight. "We'll be returning to our rooms. Make sure to go down for supper. Good night!"

"Wait!" Harry pulled out the Extendable Ears. "Thanks for letting us borrow it," he said, dropping the Ears onto George's hand. The twins nodded. Soon, after they replied their goodnights, Harry, Ron, and Hermione let the twins pass by them into the guest room next to Ron's bedroom.

"What do you know - he's quite similar to Harry!" Ron exclaimed as soon as the twins got inside their room. "Dark hair, glasses - well, maybe not as young," he joked, earning a glare and punch from Harry beside him, "but hey, I'm not kidding."

Hermione chuckled. "As Fred and George said, we should check him out." She glanced at the room behind her. "I'll wake up Ginny. You boys should come down." Without any response from Harry and Ron, she went inside her bedroom.

* * *

"Ron! Harry dear!" Ron's mother greeted them as soon as they entered the dining room. "I was going to have Arthur call you down for dinner. Where's Hermione and Ginny?" She was amiably smiling, which was definitely the opposite of Fred and George's scolding earlier. Harry wasn't planning to get on her bad side today.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said politely as he and Ron were hugged by Mrs. Weasley. "Hermione's coming down soon. She's waking up Ginny."

"Is that so?" Mrs. Weasley said. "I guess you could help with setting up the table for me then. Our guests do have a large appetite, especially just after the meeting and our new member's introduction."

"New member?" Harry and Ron looked at each other and inquired innocently. Mrs. Weasley nodded, getting some dishes in the dishwasher.

"Professor Dumbledore admitted him just earlier. He's quite a young lad! Very gifted with words, and I hope he's quite gifted with magic too," Mrs. Weasley babbled as she handed out plates and utensils to Harry and Ron. "Well, he will be teaching at Hogwarts so I hope you two will listen to him."

Harry and Ron looked at each other again. They were not surprised, especially with what had just happened earlier. The two just nodded and went to the tables to distribute the plates and utensils. Mrs. Weasley went on to talk with the other guests in the room after giving the two plates, so they decided to use this chance to know the new teacher. There were two tables, and they immediately finished placing the dishes on the first table aside from being greeted by Lupin, Minerva, and a few others.

Fortunately, the new teacher was alone except for Tonks, who beamed at Harry and Ron when they got to the other table where Eriol and Tonks were together. The lad was sitting silently, looking around with an amused face. Tonks was accompanying him, telling him who and what the people were in the room.

"And here's Harry and Ron! Wotcher, Harry! Wotcher, Ron!" Tonks beamed. She put her hands on both of Harry and Ron's shoulders and introduced them to Eriol. "This is Harry Potter, the infamous Boy-who-Lived, and Ron Weasley, youngest son of Molly. Harry, Ron, this is the new member, Eriol Harigazawa…? Hiragiwaza?"

"It's Eriol _Hiiragizawa_," the boy corrected.

"Right," Tonks agreed. "Hiiragizawa."

Harry noticed that the bright pink hair of Tonks turned a shade of a slightly duller pink. It wasn't that noticeable, but the few times he had interacted with her and the battle in the Room of Mysteries made him more aware of her and her well-being.

"Hello… P-Professor," Harry extended a hand and put the plates aside, obviously unsure what to call him. Ron did the same.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Eriol flashed a serene smile reminiscent of Dumbledore as he shook their hands. "You can call me Hiiragizawa if you like, or just Professor since I will be your professor at Hogwarts."

The two boys were dumbfounded. Is this really the new professor? A boy with striking features similar to Dumbledore? The twin's description of him wasn't enough for Harry and Ron to prepare themselves for a surprise.

"Y-you're young!" Ron sputtered out. "How did you become a professor at our age?!" Harry nodded quickly.

"Well…" Eriol paused for a moment, his eyes closing in a serene manner. "I was homeschooled so I finished earlier, and Dumbledore found me." He smiled again rather mysteriously.

"This is so cool!" Ron's eyes widened and he glanced at Harry. "We could be already graduates if we were homeschooled!" Harry thought Ron seemed to think that being homeschooled was fun. He silently agreed, but he knew that if homeschool was an option in the Dursley household, he would be cooped up in the house all day and night.

Tonks smiled again at Ron and Harry. "It seems that I'll have to leave you two to him then. But don't forget to set or Molly will be mad," she reminded, glancing at the untouched plates lying on the table.

"Oh no! Sorry, Tonks, Professor!" Ron and Harry immediately gathered the plates and utensils and started placing them.

* * *

If Eriol could be really honest with his answer earlier, he would have been seen as strange in their eyes, Eriol mused. It would make things more difficult if he would lose the goodwill that Tonks, Harry, and Ron saw in him.

As the tables and the food had finally been set and placed, Mrs. Weasley called everyone around for dinner. Everyone sat down at the tables and Eriol found himself beside Harry, Ron, and a girl with bushy hair as he helped himself to a plate of salad. He glanced around the room. Dumbledore wasn't there. Hm.

'_Itadakimasu_,' he prayed silently, remembering Sakura as he did and soon dug into the food. He ate in a refined manner unlike Ron, who was gobbling up. The girl with the bushy hair seemed to be quite acquainted with Harry and Ron, he thought, as the girl scolded Ron for not chewing again before talking, and Ron humphed.

The bushy-haired brunette now turned to him. "I guess you are the newest Professor, aren't you?" she inquired. "I'm Hermione Granger! Nice to meet you."

"Eriol Hiiragizawa, at your service," Eriol replied.

"Huh," Hermione nodded. "A Japanese surname, isn't it? But British citizenship?" Eriol nodded.

"It's not that strange if you ask me," Eriol explained. "I was born and raised in England, so despite my Japanese surname, I'm actually English."

"Are you going to take the DADA?" Harry inquired.

"DADA? The Defense Against the Dark Arts? Well, yes," the Clow reincarnation replied, grateful for researching the small tidbits after he met Dumbledore. "Why?"

"Well, obviously we don't want Snape taking over DADA," Ron said between meals. "He's been eyeing the position for years."

"And he's been pretty difficult to all the students except Slytherins," Harry added. "He's pretty unreasonable, that git."

Snape was one of the members who were intensely hostile against him, Eriol thought, but he was the agent between Dumbledore and Voldemort. It was important to maintain positive relations."I can see your point," Eriol said. "But you can come to me if you have more problems concerning Snape because he is still your Potions Professor and you should respect him as such, if not any more."

Hermione smiled. "I think I like you, Professor. Unlike Ron here who doesn't have any manners-" Ron made an angry sound- "I think we'll get along then."

Eriol smiled his mysterious smile. "I do think so too."

Around 9 pm, Dumbledore reappeared again, and after a few more friendly reminders, the dinner was finally concluded.

Eriol was deciding whether to go back to his mansion when Mrs. Weasley came. "Why not stay with us for the night?" She asked. "I'm sure your house is far away, and it's extremely dangerous at these nights."

Eriol turned to glance at Dumbledore, who was sharing a few words with the Golden Trio, and nodded. He could keep an eye on Harry. "Sure, Mrs. Weasley, as long as I'm not intruding."

"Oh no, you don't," Mrs. Weasley reassured him. "This is a house Kingsley found for the members of the Order. He's the Secret Keeper."

Eriol was soon ushered into a guest room on the far end of the second floor. The guestroom was quite simple, with a dresser on the left of him, the bed beside it, and a table on the far right, which was just under the window. It was still raining.

He went to the table, where a small piece of paper caught his eye. It was Dumbledore's note, telling him to keep an eye on Harry as much as he could. Eriol folded the paper neatly into his pocket and plopped onto the bed.

He was inevitably tired. He could do that in the morning. Sending a telepathic message to Spinel saying that he might be away for a few more days, Eriol's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Over the couple of days, Harry, Ron, and Hermione tailed Eriol and bombarded him with questions that sometimes went personal, something he felt annoyed about. The trio seemed nice, but sometimes they poke too hard.

Eriol managed to the best that he could to make his answers not too specific, but he was thankful for the timely save by the twins, who decided to accompany him. He preferred the company of Fred and George for now rather than the Golden Trio, because Fred and George wouldn't disturb him always, and that he found their antics enjoyable. Similar, even to Yamazaki. He somehow learned more from the twins and their inventions too.

On the last day he stayed at the house, he decided to give a little gift to the twins. When the twins were out, pranking Mrs. Weasley again, he decided to put a little duplicating spell on some gold coins and some of their inventions lying around.

The next day, the twins would find, to both their joy and dismay, that their room would be half-full of Galleons, Skiving Snackboxes, and Wildfire Whizbangs.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you for waiting. I have been able to find motivation to write this chapter. I really had fun writing - I think I could have written more about the interaction of Eriol with the Golden Trio and the Weasley family - but that's another side-story for now. Please leave a review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Keep safe!**


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